


Butterflies

by dragonwings948



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Friendship, No Plot/Plotless, One Shot, Short & Sweet, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:07:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25603303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonwings948/pseuds/dragonwings948
Summary: The Ninth Doctor takes Bill to a new planet.
Relationships: Ninth Doctor & Bill Potts, The Doctor & Bill Potts
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11





	Butterflies

**Author's Note:**

> Going through some old stuff saved on my computer and realised that I somehow never posted this! Someone prompted me to write something with Nine and Bill, which was a fun challenge!

“So, where are we going today?” Bill grinned at the Doctor through the time rotor, his concentrated frown and drawn eyebrows warped by the glass and the bright blue light. 

The Doctor flipped a lever and the TARDIS threw itself into the vortex, tossing its occupants to the side in the process. Bill fell into the jump seat, but it didn’t take away her smile. If anything, it strengthened it. 

“Today’s trip is about wildlife,” the Doctor announced, straightening up like he hadn’t even noticed the jolt of the console room. 

“Hopefully not six-horned green rhinos again.”

A smirk twitched at the Doctor’s lips. “No. Not this time.” 

“You still didn’t answer my question,” Bill prompted, righting herself and rounding the console to stand at his side. 

He grinned the kind of grin that made his whole head move, visible as it was with his close-cropped dark hair. “I know.” 

With a great thump the TARDIS landed, and Bill was proud of herself for only having to grip the console with one hand to stay upright. She turned toward the doors and rushed to open one. 

“Oi!” The Doctor’s sharp exclamation made her pause with her fingers already grasping the handle. “What do you think you’re doing?” 

Bill stared at him for a moment. “Opening the door?” 

“Not yet. They need to settle first.” He shifted his attention back to the console and turned a few dials. 

Bill bit her lip. She almost didn’t even want to ask, because she knew he was expecting it. “What needs to settle?” 

“Come on!” the Doctor complained, keeping his back to her. “A little trust would be nice!”

Bill sighed and let go of the door. She crossed her arms over her chest and walked back to the console. “How long do we have to wait?” 

“Longer if you give me that face.” 

Bill turned away from him so she could have that face all she liked. She heard the Doctor fiddling with the controls a bit more before he spoke again. 

“Bill Potts, are you ready to see the most amazing thing you’ve ever seen in your life?” 

The soft, eager tone of his voice intrigued her. She faced him again, his expression expectant. 

“Are you really going to say that after everything you’ve shown me?” 

The ghost of a smile lit up his face. “Trust me.” He motioned his arms towards the doors and Bill gratefully ran to them. Excitement bubbled up within her. She pulled the door towards her and took a long moment to examine the world outside. 

The sky was bright blue, like the sunniest and most beautiful days on Earth, though there was no sun visible from this angle. Ahead of her stretched a seemingly endless field of multi-coloured grass, the hues so bright and clear that it was as if the ground was made of stained glass. 

“Woah,” Bill breathed. She lifted her foot to take a step, wanting to get a closer look. 

The Doctor grabbed her arm and yanked her back inside. “What are you doing that for?” he asked sharply. 

Bill stared at the ground and tried to make sense of what he was saying. “Oh my god, is it sentient grass?” 

“Look again.  _ Really  _ look.” 

She did. Bill’s brain still couldn’t make sense of what she was seeing, but she knew that it wasn’t grass. It was like tiny colourful things all huddled together, but she couldn’t quite figure it out. 

The Doctor dug his hand into the pocket of his leather jacket, frowning. After a moment he produced a small white seashell. “Nicked this off the coast of Space Florida.” He kissed it, and then tossed it out into the field. 

Where the seashell landed, small creatures fluttered up from the ground. It caused a ripple effect that sent thousands of creatures up into the air, disturbed from their rest. Their multicoloured wings were translucent and flashed their bright colours all around, creating a rainbow tornado that swirled in varied patterns like a kaleidoscope. The flapping of their wings was audible, though still light, and Bill’s breath caught in her throat. 

“Butterflies,” she realised. They fluttered all around in chaos, but after a minute or two began to settle on the ground once again. 

“The planet’s called Papillon,” the Doctor said. “Humans discovered it first.” 

Then Bill realised why he hadn’t told her the name of the planet: it would have given it all away. 

She looked down. “Did the TARDIS squash some?” 

The Doctor recoiled, looking offended. “Of course not! Do you think I’d allow my ship to land on living creatures?” 

“’Course not.” Not him. Not ever. She looked again, now that the butterflies were all settled. She could see the details this time: the curled antennae, the tiny black bodies, the outlines of the wings. “They’re beautiful.” 

“I’m glad you think so, because you have a two thousand word essay on them due tomorrow.” 

Bill turned to him sharply. “Hey!” She punched him in the arm. 

The Doctor frowned and rubbed the spot. “Ow! Three thousand words!” 

Bill growled in frustration. The Doctor shuffled forward, disturbing the ground so that the butterflies fled as he made his way onward. “Better get started,” he called back. 

Bill followed his path, feeling wings flutter against her cheeks as the butterflies retreated from their resting places. As she stepped further into the world of the beautiful insects, her irritation dissipated. She found herself coming up with the opening paragraph to her essay: 

_ In a universe filled with so much beauty, it seems impossible that something as small as an ordinary Earth insect can take your breath away too… _


End file.
